First Shift 🏒
The Stars had a nice long meeting on Monday.
“That’s what happens when you lose a few games, there are a lot of meetings,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “Too many meetings aren’t a good sign.”
But with the team in a 2-6-4 slump, the Stars coaching staff would like to believe it is doing some good things in these meetings.
“Our meetings are generally positive in nature, and that reflects the individuals,” Gulutzan said. “Sure, we’re going through a tough spot, but the strength of this team is its level-headedness.”
The Stars have been a consistent team for years, and that makes the highs and lows of this season a bit more of a challenge. That said, they know there is an answer in there. Dallas went 25-7-3 to start the season, a .746 points percentage. They are 2-6-4 in the past 12, a .333 points percentage.
Gulitzan said he believes the answer is somewhere in the middle, and he’s confident the team can get back to it. The coach said the team’s inner analytics say scoring chances are about what they were during the winning days, but that finishing has dropped. Dallas led the NHL in shooting percentage at 14.0 percent in the first 35 games. It has been 25th at 9.9 percent in the past 12.
In fact, the offense is probably the most significant drop in recent weeks. Goal scoring has gone from second (3.51) to 29th (2.50) and the power play has gone from second (31.3 percent) to 25th (17.2 percent).
So how do you get back to executing plays and scoring goals?
“You make sure the players are prepared, because when they feel like they are prepared, that builds confidence,” Gulutzan said. “Confidence comes from being prepared, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
That’s a reason for the meetings and practicing at American Airlines Center Monday. The Boston Bruins come to town on a six-game winning streak Tuesday, so the challenges don’t get any easier.
That’s just part of it.
“You try to control what you can control - discipline, not being stupid with the puck, staying structured, that’s all you can do,” forward Robertson said. “If you start doing it, you start feeling better about your game regardless of the results.”
That’s another reason for the meetings, so the group can know it’s on the same page. Defenseman Nils Lundkvist said that the team has been good for years, so it knows it can be good now.
“It’s trusting that we have it in here and not let frustration creep in,” Lundkvist said. “You just have to work hard and I have all the belief in the world that it’s going to turn around.”
That confidence, Gulutzan believes, comes from an honest place.
“It’s a long year so you have to sit back and understand where you are,” Gulutzan said. “There are different ebbs and flows, and what we’re trying to do is have a realistic look at those ebbs and flows and manage them so that we can gain confidence. Confidence isn’t something you can just hand out, you have to develop it.”
